House Karstark
House Karstark is an ancient House based in the Bolten region of Westros inside the city of Karhold. The members of House Karstark and their old House members in House Starke are now mortal enemies due to the betrayal the members of the now House Karstark did against their former House in House Starke. Once a ruler in their own right, during the rise of House Bolten the leadership of House Karstark split from the overall House Starke, and became loyalists to the forces of House Bolten. With the might of House Karstark on their side, House Bolten was able to conquer a large swathe of western Westros, and only the rise of Lorderon slowed the Kingdom's growth. Since these days the members of House Karstark are the closest House to the ruling leadership of House Bolten. Their blazon is a white sunburst on black, and this scheme is found throughout their house and its banners. The members of House Karstark have words and their motto is, "The Sun of Winter" and this has to do with their ancient begginings in the north. The earliest members of House Starke as they begin leaving the Empire found their way past Arnor into the region of Westros. When they arrived in Westros they kept moving south until they arrived in the Bolten region. When they arrived in Bolten they begin setting up roots, and quickly became the leading House in the region. The conflict between Brenten Starke the patriarch of House Starke and his younger brother Josin Starke reached such a point that they devided the House into those immediatly related to each of the men, and in this way the devision of House Starke was started. Josin Starke promised his loyalty to the House but in actuality he was working behind the scenes at creating an alliance with House Bolten which would allow for his half of the House to remain in control of Karhold but remove his older brother that he believed was holding back House Starke. History House Starke The earliest members of House Starke as they begin leaving the Empire found their way past Arnor into the region of Westros. When they arrived in Westros they kept moving south until they arrived in the Bolten region. When they arrived in Bolten they begin setting up roots, and quickly became the leading House in the region. Westros The Home of House Starke came to be known as the city of Karhold and only truly came into existence during the rise of House Starke who travelled south from Norway during the Great Migration and settled in this region. Their numbers and intelligence during their early time here allowed them to accumulate a large amount of wealth which eventually spawned a large scale settlement in their region which slowly came to be known as Karhold. House Starke used their wealth to create the foundations of what still stands today as the keep of Karhold. The Keep stood as the center of what was at the time an independant micro Kingdom ruled by the Starkes. During this rise the city gained widespread notice after the Starkes constructed a large wall around the city. This brought the attention of the growing Kingdom of Bolten who begin setting their eyes on expansion. During this time the House was led by Brenten Starke, and he was silently facing resistence from his brother Josin Starke, who wanted to rule on his own without his brother. Fall of the Kingdom of Winter Main Article : House Starke Civil War In the trailing days of the Kingdom of Winter, the Lord of House Starke in Brenten Starke would sit and look at his family. He had four sons, and one daughter of which his oldest son Brenten the second was his heir and beloved by the people of the land. His second son Artolf was a twisted man, that had spent too much time in the hands of the Urnet's, and Boltens and had been twisted by that influence. The third son Eddard had spent his life as a squire for the Hornwoods, and had the love of the east. The final son Rodrik was a quiet young man that while skilled with horse, and sword was more apt to be found reading then he was to be found fighting. The final child in the form of his daughter Lyanna Starke I. was beloved by all of the Starke's, but the love her brother Artolf had for her was a dark taboo that she kept secret for fear of his wrath. This peace would end in a most tragic way, as following an attempt by a northern house to leave the Kingdom of Winter the King of Winter would send his son Brenten to end the rebellion, and during the attempt he was accidently killed by an arrow from his own men. The death of Brenten Starke II. would send the entire house into a tailspin as everyone agreed tht in no way should Artolf be named heir, and when Brenten told Artolf that he was being passed over in favor of Eddard, it was with great rage that Artolf fled Karhold, and made his way to the Dreadfort with his sister Lyanna as a silent captive. The fleeing of Artolf, and the kidnapping of Lyanna Starke caused Brenten great sadness, and despite the ability to storm the Dreadfort he feared the death of Lyanna and thus continued for the rest of his sickness shortened life to get his son to return to Karhold. Upon the death of Brenten Starke the Winter Kingdom would fall to Eddard Starke I., and Eddard sent another letter to his brother and this time his brother would send word that he wished to return to Karhold and be forgiven by his family. Rodrik Starke would plead with his brother not to allow him to return, and when Eddard rejected his please Rodrik would flee the Winter Kingdom with his family for the Moonset Islands. When Artolf Starke arrived he arrived with the heir to House Bolten, and House Urnet, and after a happy meeting the city would awake to news that Eddard Starke had been killed in his sleep. Outside the city the armies of the Urnets, and Boltens had arrived and the search begin for Eddard's family, but they could not be found because Rodrik had arrived in the night and taken them out of the city and moved them by boat westward into the Divine Lands where the Goths of the Winter Kingdom had no reach. Following this Artolf Starke would rename himself Artolf Karstark and alongside the children he had fathered with his sister Lyanna his family became known as the Karstarks after the city they had taken. Artolf would be shocked though when instead of ruling the Winter Kingdom he found himself pushed aside as the Boltens set up a council of which quickly became the Boltens ruling the land, and despite his attempts to resist this he watched the name of the Kingdom change, and the Winter Crown was forgotten. Growth of Bolten Rickard Karstark See Also : Rickard Karstark Rickard Karstake would become the new Lord of House Karstark following the death of his father Arnolf Karstark in the battle of Pontus. His reign was one of a diminshed loyalty towards the Kingdom of Bolten (diminished but still remained the most loyal member of the Kingdom), but with the coming of Rickard Karstark whose best friend was Conflict with Lorderon 'First Bolten-Lucerne War' Main Article : First Bolten-Lucerne War :'' "The Kingdom of Bolten was the first time we were ever met agressively by an oponent, and at first we were shocked at their actions. I determined quickly that they had to be stopped at any cost, and this led to our promise to defend our two major allies in the region, and a massive influx of our troops into the region."'' :-William Lovie III. With the taking of Westbrige the region of Bolten became more interested in its own growth and in particular they really wanted to get the Lucernian army involved in pitch battles which they had the numbers to survive. In order to do this they begin threatening several allies of Lucerne in western Westros in the form of Koenisburg, and the town of Jeutenburg. While these threats rancheted up the Kingdom of Lucerne did exactly what the Boltens hoped they would do when they brought huge forces to bear on the defences of the Westros river crossing of Levin. The Lucernians also made it known that any action taken against their allies in Koenisburg, or Jeutenburg would be deemed a decleration of war against Lucerne itself. This promice to defend meant a lot to the two towns, and most believed that with that the conflict would be ended before any blood was spilled. This idea changed quickly when the Kingdom of Bolten sacked Jeutenburg in a massive siege that took place in the guise of a peace mission. Massacre at Green Creek Main Article : Battle of Green Creek : '' "The fool camped for an entire day on the words of a man he hated. He deserved what came on him that night."'' : -Jordin Bolten What Ramsey did not anticipate was the fact that the moment that Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, Britt Lancave and Hedrik Clegane returned to Koenisburg they sent a raven to Jamie Lannister telling him to move against the Boltens. Ramsey had not realized that Jordin Bolten had joined his army but discovered his presence and begin to plot to kill Jordin. Before he could do this Ramsey was fed falce information by Jordin Bolten about a scouting party from Grandlen nearbye which caused Ramsey to camp for an entire day and gave Jamie Lannister enough time to catch Ramsey's force on the bed of the River Creek. Jamie Lannister and his three thousand cavalry would smash into the camp of Ramsey Bolten and in less then twenty minutes nearly the entire force was massacred. During the fighting it was Arthor Karstark that was killed during the fighting leaving the usually quiet Rickard Karstark to become furious later about the failure of Ramsey Bolten. It was as everything was falling apart that Ramsey Bolten would switch clothes with his servent Reek of whom he would smash the face of beyond any recegnition so that he could not be found to be not him. When Jamie entered the tent of Ramsey attempting to kill Ramsey or take him prisoner he found nothing but the supposed Reek standing over the destroyed body of "Ramsey Bolten". In that moment Jamie went to kill Reek but was stopped by Jordin Bolten who said to let Reek go as he was nothing but a slave they had captured from the Greyjoy's years past. Trusting Jordin Jamie would let "Reek" go and thus Ramsey Bolten escape the battle and made his way back to the Dreadfort. Noteable Members Family Members * † Arnolf Karstark. Died of Old Age **Rickard Karstak *** † Janise Karstark. (Janice Targonian) Killed during the siege of Karhold ****Harrion Karstark *****Taylor Karstark ******Rickard Karstark II. ******Ophellia Karstark *******Renault Scarlet II. ********Ophellia Scarlet ****** † Craig Karstark. Killed during the siege of Karhold *****Unknown Women ****** † Urnen Flayed. Killed during the siege of Karhold ******Wellen Flayed ****** † Willen Flayed. Killed during the Second Battle of Jeutenburg ******Gretchen Flayed **** † Eddard Karstark. Killed during the siege of Karhold *****Metalyn Karstark ******Tellania Karstark ******Gresha Karstark ****Sasha Karstark. Killed by Harrion Karstark *****Thomas Johanston ******Domeric Johanston ****Eddard Karstark II. ****Cregan Kartstark II. *****Lassia Karstark (Lassia Sarn) ******Jared Karstark ******Cyrenna Karstark ***Unknown Women ****Alys Karstark **Arnolf Karstark II. *** † Marja Karstark. Died of Illness **** † Cregan Karstark. Killed during the siege of Karhold *****Caryn Locke ******Harnolf Karstark ******Lusha Karstark **** † Arthor Karstark. Killed during the Battle of Green Creek **** † Atolf Karstark. Killed by Daryn Hornwood ****Vatef Karstark ****Leysha Karstark Honor Gaurd Vassal Houses Category:Houses in Bolten Category:Vandals Category:Houses in Europe